Learn Hardcore Malay: Saya suka bos yang jujur.

Malay does not mark a / the or singular / plural clearly in this sentence, so the exact English version depends on the context. All of the above are possible readings.

Does suka mean “like” or “love”? How strong is it?

Suka usually means “to like” in the sense of to have a positive feeling toward something or someone.

Saya suka bos yang jujur. → I like an honest boss / (I) like honest bosses.
If you wanted a stronger, more emotional sense (romantic or deep love), you would usually use cinta or sometimes sayang:
- Saya cinta dia. → I love her/him.
- Saya sayang keluarga saya. → I love/care deeply about my family.

For people you work with (like a boss), suka is appropriate and neutral.

Why is there no word for “a” or “the” before bos?

Malay generally does not use articles like English a / an / the.

Saya suka bos yang jujur. literally: I like boss who honest.

Whether it means “a(n) honest boss” or “the honest boss” or “honest bosses” is determined by context, not by special words.

If you really need to emphasize one boss (similar to “a/an”), you might add:

Saya suka seorang bos yang jujur.
(seorang = one person, a person)

But in many everyday contexts, Saya suka bos yang jujur is enough and sounds more natural.

What exactly does yang do in bos yang jujur?

Yang is a very important word in Malay. Here it:

Links the noun and its description, similar to “who is / that is”:
- bos yang jujur ≈ a boss *who is honest*.
Introduces a relative clause or descriptive phrase:
- bos yang jujur → boss who is honest
- bos yang selalu jujur → boss who is always honest
- bos yang saya suka → boss whom I like

You can think of yang as a “connector” that turns what comes after it into a description of the noun before it.

Can I say Saya suka bos jujur without yang?

Native speakers would usually prefer bos yang jujur here.

Bos yang jujur is the standard, natural way to say “an honest boss / a boss who is honest.”

Bos jujur is not grammatically wrong in all contexts, but:

It can sound a bit abrupt or less natural in this sentence.
Without yang, adjectives sometimes feel more like labels or part of a fixed phrase, not a full descriptive clause.

So for clear, natural Malay in this case, use:

Saya suka bos yang jujur. ✅

Why does jujur come after bos instead of before like in English?

In Malay, adjectives usually come after the noun they describe:

bos jujur → honest boss
rumah besar → big house
kereta baru → new car

In this sentence, because we’re using yang, the phrase is:

bos yang jujur → boss who is honest

So the typical pattern is:

noun + (yang) + adjective / description
bos yang jujur → boss who is honest

Can Saya suka bos yang jujur mean “I like honest bosses (in general)”?

Yes. The sentence is ambiguous between:

General preference:
- I like bosses who are honest. (in general; as a type of person)
Specific person:
- I like the boss who is honest. (a particular boss you’re talking about)

Malay doesn’t mark plural or definiteness here. If you want to make it clearly plural / general, you could say:

Saya suka bos-bos yang jujur. → I like honest bosses.
Saya suka para bos yang jujur. → I like honest bosses (more formal / group-structured).

How can I clearly say “I like my honest boss” in Malay?

To make it clear you mean your own boss, add a possessive:

Saya suka bos saya yang jujur.
→ I like my boss who is honest.

Breakdown:

bos saya → my boss
yang jujur → who is honest

So the structure is:
Saya suka [bos saya] yang jujur.

What is the difference between saya and aku for “I”?

Both saya and aku mean “I / me”, but they differ in formality and relationship:

saya
- Polite, neutral, safe in almost all situations.
- Used with strangers, at work, with your boss, in formal situations.
- Fits very well in Saya suka bos yang jujur.
aku
- Informal, intimate, or casual.
- Used with close friends, family, or in songs and literature.
- Saying Aku suka bos yang jujur could sound too casual or even rude if you’re actually talking about your real boss in a formal context.

For learners, saya is the default safe choice.

How do I change the tense, like “I liked” or “I will like” an honest boss?

Malay verbs usually don’t change form for tense. You add time words or markers:

Present / general truth
- Saya suka bos yang jujur.
  → I like honest bosses / I like an honest boss.
Past
- Dulu saya suka bos yang jujur.
  → In the past I liked an honest boss / honest bosses.
- Saya sudah suka bos yang jujur.
  → I already liked an honest boss. (context-sensitive)
Future
- Saya akan suka bos yang jujur.
  → I will like an honest boss.
- More natural in context:
  Saya rasa saya akan suka bos yang jujur.
  → I think I will like an honest boss.

The verb suka itself stays the same; you adjust meaning with words like dulu (before), sudah (already), akan (will), or a time expression.

How do I say “I really like honest bosses” or “I prefer honest bosses”?

For “really like”:

Saya sangat suka bos yang jujur.
Saya suka bos yang sangat jujur. (emphasizing very honest boss)

For “prefer”:

Saya lebih suka bos yang jujur.
→ I prefer bosses who are honest / I prefer an honest boss.

Lebih suka literally = “like more”.

How would I say the opposite: “I don’t like dishonest bosses”?

To negate suka, use tidak:

Saya tidak suka bos yang tidak jujur.
→ I don’t like bosses who are not honest / I don’t like dishonest bosses.

Here:

tidak suka → do not like
tidak jujur → not honest, dishonest

Is bos an English loanword? Are there more formal words?

Yes, bos is borrowed from English “boss”, and it is very common in everyday Malay.

More formal / specific alternatives:

majikan → employer
ketua → leader / head
pengurus → manager

You could say:

Saya suka majikan yang jujur. → I like an honest employer.
Saya suka ketua yang jujur. → I like an honest leader.

But in normal workplace talk, bos is very widely used and natural.